Nettles grow in America too, but not as extensively as they do in Ireland and Britain. Irish people are well aware of the burning sting of the nettle, but for others, this little-known plant can cause great distress, especially to the unwary American tourist.

Full grown plants are easily identified by their dark green coloring and serrated, pointed leaves.

I learned my lesson the hard way with four little ones in an Irish graveyard two years ago. I forgot my kids are four little Americans and at that time had little knowledge of Ireland’s stinging nettles.

The weather was beautiful when we visited the ancient resting place of my ancestors in Myross, West Cork. The cemetery lies in a windswept field on a cliff above the vast Atlantic ocean.

Passed down from generation to generation, the nettle neutralizing power of a dock leaf is an old wives’ tale some quickly dismiss. For me it saved eight little legs from severe blisters. The old Irish saying goes like this:

Remember nettles love abandoned ruins. Tourists searching for the homes of their ancestors in derelict spaces should be prepared to do battle with nettles.

If you are lucky to have good weather and are wearing shorts, remember to keep a pair of long pants close at hand to pull up over shorts, if you need to wade through nettles to gain access to an old farmhouse or building.

Comments

Isn’t it kind of funny how those dock leaf plants are almost always near a nettle bush? That’s what I always found anyway. We didnt have too many opportunities growing up in Cork to wear shorts, but when we did it was always the guy wearing long pants that had to chase the sliotar into the bushes : )

Liam – Our short-wearing days in Ireland were numbered on one hand each summer, even in Cork which is supposedly the “sunny south”, but nettle stings were an inevitable part of summer fun. Thank God for dock leaves.

Hi Kay – We had a St. Patrick’s Day party at our house with 25 children running around the place. There was a parade in and out the door to the back yard all day long. Lots of fun was had by all. Hope you too had a lovely weekend.

My husband and I have an similar story. We were on our last full day of our honeymoon visiting Inishmore. While traveling back on bike from our Bed and Breakfast to the dock, a van came barrelling down the tiny road. Joe and I moved quickly…me, one way…him, the other. He landed in a wall of plants and of course some stinging nettles. At the time, we had no idea what it was other than he certainly didn’t feel good. Following up with some locals farther down the road, they confirmed it was likely nettles and the local clinic could get him some anti-histamine. The doctor was lovely and didn’t charge for the visit or the cream (and we even made back in time to the ferry).

Stephanie – it sounds like you and your husband learned about Irish nettles the hard way. So happy to hear the doctor took care of you and that you had a lovely time on Inishmore. Thanks for stopping by my site. I love hearing tales of everyone’s trips to Ireland.

The odd thing about the nettle sting is if you have an allergy the histamine in them is likely to ease or rid yourself of it. No one really knows what’s in the sting as it’s a concoction of different and sometimes contradictory chemicals. The new field of landscape archaeology, as well as miners, use different plants to gain a knowledge of whats below. What the nettles mark is concentrations of nitrogen. What they also mark in judicial evictions.

Vince – I did not know that about the histamine in nettles. Thank you for another great insight. The dock leaf was our only defense when we were kids, probably another concoction of contradictory chemicals. It’s amazing how nettles do tend to grow around old ruins and sites of evictions in years gone by. One thing I have never made is nettle stew. Next time I am home I might give it a whirl. All the best, Mairéad

I’ve eaten the soup/stew. It’s like textured spinach. But you need to take the tips at this time of year. Later they get stringy even woody. It’s not really so amazing, just think what would be a ready source of nitrogen.

Jon – I hope you remembered to say “Docken in, nettle out” as you rubbed your sting with the dock leaf (just kidding)! Now that you’ve had a nettle encounter, you’ll be able to spot them a mile away. All the best, Mairéad

Just came back from Killarney. I was explaining what a nettle was to my 14 year old and noticed that there were none around our homestead any more. I was told by my neighbors that the town now sprays weed killers for them on the sides of the roads

Maggie – There are nettles all over the place around our farm in Cork. Killarney is taking good care of tourists by getting rid of them. Nettles are quite a nasty surprise for unsuspecting visitors to the Emerald Isle. Hope you had a great trip back to Killarney. Best wishes, Mairéad

Dear Mairead. I had lots of encounters with nettles as a child. But soon learned to avoid them. It’s funny about rubbing the sting with dock leaves. When I got stung my mother would dig deep down into the heart of the dockleaves and poke around for the juice that surrounded the heart and that’s what she used to rub on my sting, it’s kind of a sticky clear juice, I never had the sting rubbed with the leaf, didn’t know that cured it too, I salute them every day in Doneraile park but keep my distance ha I remember last year my sister in law invited me to dinner it was the month of May and she gave me a beautiful dinner with cabbage, and when we were finished she said to me, — you are after a fine feed of nettles there now, I thought the cabbage tasted a bit different, like spinach a bit, but I thought it was her way of cooking, and she is a lovely cook, I believe they provide iron and are like a tonic eaten in the mth of May. My mother taught me how to catch a nettle without it stinging, you just grab it fast and I swear it works, mind over matter ha. Have a good day Mairead x regards Maureen

Hi Maureen – I’ve heard that nettles can be caught with a firm hold to avoid a sting. No matter how much I’ve been told that you’re safe with the right catching technique, I’ve never been brave enough to give it a try. Too many nettle encounters as a child to take the risk. My mother tells a story of how she fell over the handle bars of her bike as a child only to land in a big pile of nettles. She was stung from head to toe. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed your “fine feed of nettles”. Someday I’ll have to give them a try. One Facebook reader mentioned how her mother made nettle champ. It sounds like a good introduction to nettle cuisine. Next time in Ireland in May, I think I’ll give it a go with some nice young and tender nettles. All the best, and thanks as always for stopping by. I really enjoy your comments and insights into Irish ways of old. Mairéad

Certain that nettle sting “couldn’t be as bad as all that” I touched a leaf with just my thumb and forefinger, so as to, well, have the Irish experience of a nettle “sting.” After our tour leader, Robbie O’Connell, must have said 15 times to watch out for the nettles, which were all around Grange Circle in Co Limerick, I could certainly feel no immediate sting from touching the plant leaf. “Are you sure this works?” I said looking up at Robbie’s now alarmed expression. “Oh yes,” was all he replied. So I walked on, puzzled. Ten minutes later, further around the standing stones, my fingers were in such horrible burning pain, they felt as if they’d been held up against a hot iron for several seconds. I was gripping them tightly with the other hand, jaws clenched, wondering what to do. Then here came kind, knowledgeable Robbie, carrying a large dock leaf, for me to run on my fingers. It did eventually stop the burning stinging, but not before the lesson was learned. Yes, I had the Irish experience of the nettle sting, but it is not something I would want to repeat, or to wish on another. Thanks for the great article on this little-known plant that can cause great distress to the unwary visiting American. Sara McLain Pennsylvania reader

Hi Sara – So sorry to hear you had to learn about nettles the hard way to truly understand why we Irish fear them so much. Glad to hear your tour guide knew all about the dock leaf trick. It may not be an immediate cure but with patience and lots of rubbing a good old dock leaf takes the sting away. Thanks so much for sharing your nettle encounter tale. Best wishes, Mairéad

Nettles grow prolifically in old cemeteries due to the high phosphate content of the soil. This comes from the decay of bones which is a slow process. You are witnessing a very interesting ecological phenomenon!

Hi Mike – Thank you so much for explaining the scientific reason for why nettles grow so prolifically in old cemeteries. It makes total sense now, knowing they are plants that like a high phosphate soil. All the best, Mairéad